The Community and Public Sector Union has raised concerns that planned job cuts at the West Australian Department of Agriculture and Food (DAFWA) will impact biosecurity controls and other vital services.

Lucy Barbour reports on calls from within the Nationals party for more female candidates following the party's poor results in the weekend's election. Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester has pointed to the success of Nationals candidates, Emma Kealy and Steph Ryan, who won the seats of Lowan and Euroa respectively. Political commentator Nick Economou, from Monash University, argues the losses were the result of disunity within the Coalition. He doesn't believe there are likely to be implications for the Nationals in other state elections next year. Read more.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says it was up to the Liberal Party and not the Nationals to defend Australia's last remaining fruit processing plant when it was in financial strife earlier this year.